


The Mystery of Names

by FixaIdea



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Humor, Very Serious Investigation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 23:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7952938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FixaIdea/pseuds/FixaIdea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Up until Cosette mentioned it, it never occurred  to Marius to question why most of his friends kept addressing each other by family names.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mystery of Names

’…And then Combeferre told the officer that we have a permit and we won’t be budging. Good thing he also brought a copy, because of course he didn’t believe him. Seriously, all this hustle because of a musical flashmob. It’s almost like our message hit a sore spot no?’

 

Marius finished his account with a grin and leant back in his chair. Cosette smiled approvingly, but with a thoughtful little frown.

Marius felt his heart sink. He was being weird again, wasn’t he? Oh God, she’s annoyed isn’t she? It’s only a matter of time before she changes her mind and…

 

‘Say, love’ said Cosette, cutting off his internal panicking ‘Why do most of our friends go by family names? It must be some group tradition because I’ve never really seen other people do it. Not such close friends, anyway.’

 

Marius blinked. In all the years he’s been affiliated with the ABC Choir he’s questioned their political agendas, the charities they chose to donate their income to and a million other things, but never the way they addressed each other.

 

‘I… actually have no idea. I mean, the first two I met were Courfeyrac and Lesgle and they only told me their last names so I uh, kinda just went with it? They had no problem calling me Marius though…’

 

Cossette cocked her head to the side.

 

‘Maybe we could ask at the next rehearsal. Or do you think it’s a sensitive topic?’ she asked, suddenly concerned.

 

Marius gave it some thought.

 

‘I don’t think so? I mean, Jehan goes by first name so it’s not a rule or something… Ah, now that you mentioned it, it is weird and too formal, I mean, they almost work like a family.’

‘Let’s just ask next time.’

‘Yeah. Good plan.’

 

***

 

They had to wait a couple of days until they could implement their Master Plan, until the weekly rehearsal. By that time Marius all but forgot about the little mystery they set out to solve. He was only reminded when after the practice was done and the choir moved to their favourite café to relax and broke up into smaller, chatting, laughing groups. It was then that Cossette suddenly stood, gave Marius a Look and plopped down beside Lesgle.

 

‘Ah, hello there’ he greeted her with a warm smile.

‘Hello yourself!’ she said with a little laugh.

‘Say, Lesgle’ she went on, shyer now ‘There’s something I’ve been wondering… Your full name is Mathis Lesge, right?’

‘Right.’

‘So ah… Why don’t you ever use ‘Mathis’?’

 

Lesgle scratched the back of his shiny head.

 

‘I do, I mean at Uni most people call me Mathis, just not my friends here?’

‘That’s actually what we are curious about’ said Marius, itching closer ‘This family name business seems to be a group thing, but where did it come from?’

 

Lesgle opened his mouth… And promptly snapped it closed again.

 

‘I don’t know. It definitely came from the choir because before we met the rest of them, when it was just me and Joly we called each other Mathis and Lucas all right. I think.’

‘We did!’ Joly piped up, scooting closer. ‘Now we use those as a sort of endearment. I think the last name thing came from Grantaire. He likes to sign things with an R and he’s always liked to be addressed as such because. You know. The pun.’

‘Ah, yes. ‘Grand R’’ Cosette giggled ‘So that’s one mystery solved.’

‘Nah, it isn’t’ said Bahorel, dropping down into a chair beside Marius ‘If R started going by family name all on his own, then it was a separate thing. The rest of the group was already doing it when Jehan and I joined, and that was way before you guys did.’

‘So the person who stated this tradition’ Joly summarised, steeping his fingers Sherlock Holmes style ‘Must be one of the four people who formed the group at the time. Enjolras, Combeferre, Courfeyrac and Feuilly.’

‘Do we even know all their first names?’ Marius asked ‘I don’t remember either of them telling me and it never occurred to me to ask.’

‘Oh, sure.’ Bahorel shrugged ‘For the sake of full disclosure, I’m called Nolan. Then we’ve got Nicolas Grantaire, Benjamin Feuilly, Jules Combeferre, René Enjolras and…’

 

He trailed off with a frown.

 

‘What was Courfeyrac’s name, again?’

 

Silence fell on the group. Joly opened his mouth but changed his mind and closed it again. Then opened it again.

 

‘You know, now that I think about it, he goes by just Courfeyrac on Facebook too. I never questioned it before, but it’s kinda strange.’

‘Maybe he doesn’t like it?’ Cosette said ‘I mean, I never go by ‘Euphrasie’ either.’

‘Eu… _what_?’

‘Euphrasie’ said Cosette with a sigh ‘I mean, weird or no, I would probably use it if I knew for sure it was my mother’s idea and not my bio father’s. But she’s only ever called me Cosette and I’d rather not wear anything _he_ came up with.’

‘No surprise there’ Marius murmured, pulling her closer.

 

After that the group sank into a thoughtful silence – until Enjolras, notes and stacks of sheet music in his hands, passed them by. Bahorel seized the opportunity to solve the mystery once and for all and gently grabbed his elbow as he walked by.

 

‘Say, Enjolras… This is pretty damn embarrassing, seeing how long we’ve known him, but none of us could recall Courfeyrac’s first name.’

 

Enjolras rolled his eyes.

 

‘Took you a while to catch on to him. If you don’t know it’s because he puts a lot of effort into not letting anyone find out, and if he didn’t personally tell you, I’m not going to. He hates it with a passion.’

 

He let out an explosive sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

‘Even back in secondary school when we first met he insisted we call him Courfeyrac and nothing else. Combeferre and I took on this habit out of solidarity.’

‘…And everyone else just assumed it was a thing you did if you wanted to belong to this group of friends’ said Bahorel, grin slowly spreading on his face. ‘All because Courfeyrac can’t be bothered to change his name.’

 

Enjolras shook his head.

 

‘If you knew how many times I suggested he should do just that, he’s a legal adult, nothing’s stopping him, but I guess some part of him is enjoying this silly charade.’

‘Well, excuse me’ said Courfeyrac, who seemed to have materialised out of thin air and who now was standing on tiptoes to be able to prop his chin on Enjolras’ shoulder from behind ‘I never _ordered_ anyone to take on my habits, you all did that out of your own free will. I’m just naturally charming like that.’

‘Besides’ he went on with a grin ‘If I ever get famous I’d rather this be the Shameful Secret tabloids go on and on about than anything else.’

**Author's Note:**

> His full name is Tristan-Augustin de Courfeyrac.
> 
> (Also, Charity Choir AU because I needed an excuse to have them meet regularly to do something constructive but without risking their lives. They did that in canon era, I just want them to be happy and ALIVE.)


End file.
